This guide was written for Dr. Bonnie O'Neill's MANA 3001 course, which works on the X-Culture projects.

Below are sample resources to use for researching each industry / country.  They are organized by the names of the client companies.

Immediately below are several databases to use for all the X-Culture projects.  And these are databases to which I cannot create durable links to specific content or reports:  you will have to learn about them, how to search in them, what are their limitations and strengths.

• Library Login:  This method (a proxy server) is quick and easy, and requires no setup.  But a few databases will not work with it, and it is less reliable when there is heavy internet traffic or a slow connection.
• VPN (virtual private network): The VPN requires you to download an app onto both your cell phone and your computer.  It is much more reliable during times of heavy internet traffic, and is well worth the necessary setup time. Outline of the steps required for the VPN:
  1. Find detailed VPN instructions here.
  2. Email ITS (helpdesk@marquette.edu) to ask for "the VPN registration invitation email".
  3. When you receive that email invitation, register for Duo Mobile.
  4. Download the Duo Mobile app onto your cell phone. Make sure you allow push notifications for it.
  5. Download the GlobalProtect app onto your computer.

Although the detailed instructions page refers you to Information Technology Services for help, at the Raynor Information Desk we can also help with some parts of the process.  Give us a call at (414) 288-7556.

Here are some general guidelines for using these databases:

• Passport:  has great international coverage. There is a video demo for how to search in Passport too.
  1. Industry coverage: its greatest strength is in consumer packaged goods, but it does cover other industries such travel and tourism.  When selecting geographies, you'll get better results if you select individual countries, rather than just regions.  (E.g. China and Japan, instead of Asia-Pacific.)
  2. Country economic and social indicator data:  use Passport to pull and compare statistics on the countries (e.g. population, education, income, consumption expenditures; business environment data) that you're evaluating and considering recommending.
• IBISWorld:  coverage is primarily for the US, and uses the NAICS code as its organizing principle. However, it has very granular coverage of industries; it will help to explain the industry supply chain, even if you are more interested in other countries. 
• Thomson One's Research / Investext module: some instructions with screenshots are available here.  In addition to those instructions, add "marketline industry profiles" in the Contributor field.  Or, simply send me an email request to meet and I'll walk you through the steps required.  Please include a few dates/times that are convenient for you! 

Use Passport! 

1. It has a lot on confectionery; look in the category menu for "Packaged Food (Rolling Update) -- Snacks".
2. It also has good content for the tourism and travel industry.  Since Ab Ovo wants to market to hotels and resorts, this will be useful.

Below are links to 3 MarketLine reports on Confectionery: there are more for other countries/regions!  On the Industry Profiles page, you'll find a link to get to the other MarketLine content. 

Be sure to use Passport, looking both for market research on wine in the regions of interest, but also looking at specialty tourism.

Use IBISWorld and IDC.

The resources below obviously focus mostly on drones, not the education of drone operators.  But some of these will allow you to gauge the size of the potential market for your client!

To find more about training or education programs/services, try keyword searching in trade journals such as Rotor & Wing; use the database ABI-Inform Collection. Here's a possible search strategy:

Event planning and management for the virtual world ...

IBISWorld has a couple of reports that could be useful, but their focus is exclusively on the US.  Look for these reports:

  –  Video Conferencing Software Developers in the US
  –  Party and event planners in the US
  –  Trade show and conference planning in the US.

Use IDC, but be warned that it will take some time to sift through the content to find what is useful. Use the Tech Buyer filter.

I've linked to a global MarketLine report on hot drinks below.  There are many more relevant MarketLine reports focusing on individual countries, too.

Use Passport too: it has a category heading for 'hot drinks', which leads to country reports and lots of data.

Use Passport for its coverage of the travel industry.

Use IBISWorld to find a specialized report on Ski & Snowboard Resorts in the US. 

Use Passport: the phrase "edible oils" retrieves many country reports and lots of data!

For X-Culture Kids, they are aiming more at teenagers, which means that they will most likely have to go through intermediary organizations such as schools.  Other possibilities include youth organizations such as:  Junior Achievement, Model United Nations or Global Classroom.

• IBISWorld has a report titled "After-school program providers".  Look also at NAICS code 51121e ("Video Game Software Publishing in the US").

According to the NAICS code, resume writing falls into the larger category of document preparation services!  That's NAICS code 56141 ...

IBISWorld has a report on this larger industry, and will give you some context at least for the US. 

IDC has some reports on document services worldwide, which though much broader than resume services, at least could provide some context.

Below is a link to an older (2016 I'm afraid) First Research report on a related industry.